Discharge outlet structure for a load containing hopper



March 20, 1956 G. B. DOREY 2,738,734

DISCHARGE OUTLET STRUCTURE FOR A LOAD CONTAINING HOPPER Filed April 28, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

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March 20, 1956 B. DOREY 2,738,734

DISCHARGE OUTLET STRUCTURE FOR A LOAD CONTAINING HOPPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28. 1951 x its i lllHflJlJlllfillljllllllIlII| Illllllllljl |%JI-Hm|I|..nH|..|l.vM'/| ww M u QM KN n u n March 20, 1956 G. B. DOREY DISCHARGE OUTLET STRUCTURE FOR A LOAD CONTAINING HOPPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 28 1951 INVENTOR. 660C965 Borg W March 20, 1956 G. B. DOREY 2,738,734

DISCHARGE OUTLET STRUCTURE FOR A LOAD CONTAINING HOPPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 28 1951 INVENTOR. (9e 5. Dorqy,

G60 BY United States Patent DISCHARGE OUTLET STRUCTURE FOR A LOAD CONTAINING HOPPER Geo e B. Dorey, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assiguor to nterp'rise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 28, 1951, Serial No. 223,617

2 Claims. (Cl. 105-282) The invention relates to an improved discharge outlet structure for a load containing hopper such as used for a railway hopper car and the like.

The invention is particularly applicable for use in connection with an outlet frame having a sliding gate movable upon side runways and wherein the tightness of the fit between the gate and its seating surfaces depends upon a smooth bearing contact between the gate and its supporting surfaces. In this type of structure as applied to railroad hopper cars it is customary to provide extension rail members to form runways disposed as continuation of the runways of the outlet frame so that the gate will rest in the open position with its smooth surface bearing on the extension runways and is thus subject to bouncing if the car is operated in transit with the gate in open position. While it is customary practice to machine finish the bearing surfaces of the outlet and gate to provide smooth interengaging surfaces and thereby obtain closely adhering surfaces, such is not the practice in connection with the extension rail members since they are usually formed of commercial rolled sections and such members are prone to retain abrasive substances which are apt to mar the bearing surfaces of the gate and impair its sealing qualities. It is also customary to paint the exterior surfaces of the car structure and paint frequently adheres to the underside of the gate when moved over the freshly painted extension rail members thus nullifying to a certain extent the advance of machine finishing of the surfaces.

It is therefore an object of this invention, among others, to improve the structure identified with the outletconstruction and its supporting extension rails by disposing the latter outwardly of the runways of the outlet and providing laterally extending wings on the gate to seat on said outwardly spaced rail members. Another object of the invention is to provide laterally extending hook shaped guiding brackets on the gate for embracing supporting ledges on the hopper structure and prevent undue upward bounding of the gate when in opened position.

For further comprehension of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the lower portion of the load containing hopper structure of a railway car having my improvements applied thereto, said view being partly broken away to better illustrate the parts;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional elevational view as taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the structure as shown in Figure 1 except that the gate is shown in partially open position;

Figure 6 is a detached plan view of the sliding gate; and

Figure 7 is a vertical end view of the gate shown in Figure 6.

2,138,734 Patented Mar. 20, 1 955 In the drawings, the invention is shown as applied to a hopper indicated by side walls 10 and 11 which meet with end sloping walls 12, and 13 to form a fOlll'Slded hopper 14 having a discharge opening 15.

Surrounding the'lower portion of the opening 15 is a unitary frame 16 having a sliding gate 17 carried thereby which is provided on its underside with rack teeth 18. Co-operating with the rack teeth 18 of the gate 17 are pinions 19 which are non-rotatably mounted on a shaft 20. The shaft 20 is journalled in the frame 16 and is provided at one end with an operating head 21 and at the opposite end is fitted with a combined bearing and stop member 22. The head 21, Figure l, is retained against lengthwise movement bya rivet 23 and the hearing member 22 is likewise maintained against lengthwise movement by a headless pin 24.

The frame 16 includes an upper wall portion lying above the gate 17 and formed with walls 25, 26, 27 and 28 which overlie the respective walls 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the hopper 14. The frame below the gate 17 is formed with a foursided chute-like portion having walls of appreciable depth including side walls 29 and 30 which are spaced inwardly from the adjacent upper walls 25 and 26 a sufficient distance to provide flat surfaces 31, Figure 5, at each side of the frame 16 on which the sliding gate 17 is adapted to have lengthwise sliding movement.

The four Walls of the chute are completed by transverse Walls 32 and 33 which extend between the respec tive side walls 29 and 30. The end wall 32 is spaced from the upper wall 27 to provide an end ledge 34 disposed on a level corresponding to the level of the side runway surfaces 31-31 and forms therewith three supporting surfaces for the gate 17. These surfaces 31-31 and 34 are machined to provide a smooth surface on which similarly machined smooth under surfaces 35, Figure 4, of the gate 17 rest to provide a seal against the escape of fine lading.

Adjacent the runways 31-31 and outwardly thereof there are provided vertical walls 36 and 37, Figure l, which project forwardly beyond the chute-like portion of the outlet frame and are each provided with a hub bearing portion 38 which form a pair of journal supports for the operating shaft 20. The said walls 36 and 37 are extended beyond the bearing portions 38 a suflicient distance to connect with extension rails 39-39 which are preferably riveted thereto as shown at 40.

The rails 39 are preferably of angle shape and mounted with one flange 41 lying against the outer face of the vertical wall to which it is secured and having the adjacent flange 42 extending laterally outwardly to form a horizontal ledge. The flanges or ledges 42 are thus disposed outwardly of the runway surfaces 31-31 and the gate 17 is provided with laterally extending wing portions 43-43 which rest upon them.

Adjacent the outer edge of each wing portion 43 in the groove 44 in the upper surface thereof there is provided a guiding element having a flat body section 45 secured to the gate and a hook shaped end 46 extending around the related flange or ledge 42 to embrace the same and prevent upward movement of the gate in its opened position.

The gate 17 is thus mounted to slide on the runways 31 and through the medium of the wings 43-43 is slidably supported at its outer end on the flanges or ledges 42. The positioning of the surfaces thereof outwardly of the runways 31 on the frame 16 combined with the provision of the gate 17, which is generally T-shaped, as shown more clearly in Figure 6, to provide laterally extending wing portions 43 for taking the wear and tear of the sliding action of the gate when opened, minimizes the extent of wear and abrasion on the smooth bearing under surfaces 35 of the gate 17. The improved structure in addition to being conducive to the retention of clean slidingundersurfaces 35 for the gate 17 also provides for a well balanced mounting for it by furnishing widely spaced supports therefor when in opened position.

What is claimed as new is: V g 1. In a discharge outlet for the lower portion of a load containing hopper having a discharge opening and a frame at the opening and a sliding gate movable to close the opening, said frame having supporting runways underlying the gate at each side thereof for supporting the main body of the gate when the latter is positioned in the opening, extension rail members projecting forwardly beyond the frame for supporting the gate in open position, said rail members presenting outwardly laterally extending ledges disposed outwardly beyond the sides of the main body of the frame, laterally extending wings projecting outwardly beyond the main body of the gate and resting on the ledges, and hook shaped brackets carried by said wings and disposed to extend around and embrace the ledges to prevent bouncing of said gate when it is left in the open position and the assembly is moved bodily.

2. In a discharge outlet for the lower portion of a load containing hopper having a discharge opening and a frame thereat and a horizontally slidable gate to close said opening, said frame having supporting'runways underlying said gate along each side for lading tight engagem'ent therewith and to support the same in closed position, runways projecting forwardly beyond said frame and offset from said runways thereon for slidingly supporting one end of said gate in its movement to and from its open position, laterally extending wings on. said end of said gate overlying said forwardly projecting runways, and generally hook shaped members carried by said wings and underlying said forwardly projecting runways to prevent bouncing of said gate when it is left in the open position and the assembly is moved bodily.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,360,805 Sherman et al. Nov. 30, 1920 1,468,019 Guerrant Sept. 18, 1923 1,878,874 McBride Sept. 20, 1932 2,238,296 Stock Apr. 15, 1941 2,250,524 Dietrichson July 29, 1941 2,512,451 Withall June 20, 1950 2,638,060 Dorey May 15, 1953 

